This invention relates generally to bodyboards, and more particularly it concerns a bodyboard with increased strength and bonding characteristics, and a method for forming the same.
Bodyboards are well known and several are disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,114,370, 5,224,890, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,434. The quest to make a better bodyboard confronts one with several problems which must be addressed and overcome. The board must be strong enough to withstand the stresses expected in the settings in which it is used. It must be light and maneuverable so that a rider may adequately cut through the water when riding the board. The shape of a board is important for it must function as a water foil and efficiently cut through the water.
On the topic of board strength, one should understand that most, if not all boards today have some type of composite construction. That is, most boards have a foam core with an outer skin surrounding the core to define the upper and lower surfaces of the board. The upper surface is usually referred to as the top deck. The top deck may have a textured surface to provide a frictional surface to hold a rider thereon during riding. The bottom surface is usually a slick, friction-reducing surface which enhances the board's ability to cut through the water. A typical core which has been found to be satisfactory is a so-called Ethafoam.RTM. synthetic foam product marketed by Dow Chemical Co. While cores formed from Ethafoam.RTM. have performed suitably well with respect to strength, weight, and flexibility characteristics, the push to find an even better core product leads us to one aspect of the present invention, i.e., an improved core construction.
Further on the topic of a board's strength, it will be appreciated that because most boards are formed from a composite material, there exists an inherent layering between the different elements comprising the composite. If one were to take a slice through a board, from the top surface to the bottom surface, one would see the different layers of a board, which typically include, as mentioned above, an outer skin defining the top and bottom surfaces, and an internal core of foam material. One problem associated with a composite material such as that described above, is the possibility of the composite coming apart. That is, anytime one layer is bonded onto another layer, there is a possibility that the layers, due to whatever circumstances, will become separated or unbonded from one another. Thus, the push to make a better bodyboard has focussed efforts on developing materials and methods for bonding the various layers of a board together in a manner which ensures that such will not become separated during the useful life of the product.
With the above problems in mind, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a bodyboard which is lightweight and strong enough to withstand the stresses expected in the operating environment.
It is another object to provide a bodyboard which is composite in construction and wherein the individual elements making up the composite are bonded together in a strong manner which resists separation.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a bodyboard with an inner core of material which stronger and lighter than conventionally-available cores.
With the above objects in mind, the invention achieves these and other advantages in the form of a composite bodyboard with an improved, strength-enhancing construction. According to one feature of the invention, the bodyboard includes a core dimensioned to support a rider, an outer covering which is thin in relation to the core, generally enclosing the core, and a separation-resistant, terpolymeric intermediate layer disposed between and adhesively bonding together at least a portion of the core and covering.
According to another feature of the invention, an improved bodyboard with a fortified interior includes an elongate core extending along a generally straight central axis between a tail section and a nose section. The core is formed from a plurality of elongate cells joined together in a manner defining a honeycomb-like structure. Each of the cells are joined together such that each cell's long axis is generally parallel to the core's central axis which provides a core which resists deformation in directions both along and transverse the core's central axis. Upper and lower skins cover the core in a manner defining, respectively, the board's upper and lower surfaces.
According to yet another feature of the invention, an improved, fortified bodyboard with increased strength characteristics includes an elongate core extending along a generally straight central axis between a tail section and a nose section, the core being formed from a plurality of elongate, extruded polypropylene cells joined together in a manner defining a matrix. The cells are joined together such that each cell's long axis is generally parallel to the core's central axis and provide a core which resists deformation in directions both along and transverse the core's central axis. An outer covering which is thin in relation to the core, encloses the core, and a separation-resistant terpolymeric intermediate layer is disposed between and adhesively bonds together at least a portion of the core and covering.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood after a consideration of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.